2005, What A Year! 12/19/05

I thought I would document a few of the pictures and "pearls of wisdom" that my children have produced during this calendar year. This year I have been "schooled" on addiction, priorities, and manners, among many other things.


Let 's start with Braden. He is often wise beyond his years. During a conversation between Braden and my mother-in-law, I learned how compassionate he truly is, and how he always tries to put himself in other's shoes. Braden asked his Grandma Gerry why she smoked (him knowing that it is bad for you), and she responded "Well, I started smoking
when I was really young, and it is just something that is really hard for me to give up, since I have been doing it for so long. That's why you should never start smoking." Braden nodded his head and sat there pondering her answer. He looked at her, with all seriousness, and said "Yeah, I understand. It would be really hard for me to give up my peanut butter sandwiches.......I've been eating them for so long."

How true that is, B.

Another lesson I've learned is that just because I am excited or anxious about something, doesn't mean my kids feel the same. Braden started Kindergarten this year. Walking home from his first day of school, I was so excited to hear all about his day. I inundated him with questions....'How was your day?', 'Do you like your teacher?', 'Was she nice?', 'Did you meet any new friends?', 'Who did you eat lunch with?', etc. He finally looked up at me and said, "Uhh, Mom, you do know that I have to go back tomorrow, right?" Right, I guess he thought that this was nothing to get too excited about, since, afterall, he has to go back tomorrow, and that one question per day should fill the quota. Point taken.

On to Miss Brooke. She has taught me just how perceptive a two year old can really be. One day she asked me where her Grandpa Cal was. I told her that he was at work. Her response,
"Oh, cause it makes him happy." Yeah, he is a work- aholic, and if he's not at work, or working on some project or something at home (or there isn't something to stress out about), he really isn't too happy. Well spotted, Brooke. I was thinking maybe she just thought everyone was happier at work, when a few days later she asked me, "Where's Daddy?", me: "At work", Brooke: "Oh, he's making money?" Me, surprised: "Yeah, he's making money so we can buy all of the stuff we need", Brooke: "Oh, he's making money to buy purses and shoes and lipstick?". The girl's got her priorities straight, if nothing else.
This next thing helps me to better understand how her 2 year old mind processes things. My father-in-law, Lou, got into a horrible motorcycle accident about 20 years ago. He had third degree burns over 70% of his body. When the kids ask about the scars on his arms and legs, we explain about the accident and that he was on fire, causing the scars, etc. A few months ago we got the Star Wars III movie. After watching it a couple of times, Brooke asked (at the part where Anakin is fighting Obi Wan, and he falls into the lava) "What's happening to Anakin?", we said "He's burning." After a few minutes she said, "Ohhh, he's on fire like Grandpa Lou. Is Grandpa Lou gonna turn into Darth Vader?" We had to say no, and explain it a bit more to her. But her Grandpa Lou sure thought it was cool that she would mistake him for an evil lord trying to overthrow the republic rule in a galaxy far, far away (he also liked having an excuse for all the heavy breathing on the phone, too).


Well, Bryce is a man of few words, but of the few words he says, most of them show what good manners a wild boy can possess. He almost always says "Please and "Thank you". And every night, when we sit down to the table for dinner, he raises his sippy cup and says "Cheers!" Everyone must say "cheers" and clink each other's glasses before he will stop saying "Cheers!", and start to eat his dinner.

It is such a unique and cute little quirk of his, that we can't do much else, but bring on the round of "Cheers!" as we sit down to dinner. Last, but not least, Bryce taught me a lesson in strength this year. He gave up his best friend and, I dare say, the love of his life (all two years of it) this year. Just a mere one month ago, to be exact. His Pacifier....better known as "Pacie". It was one of his first words. Pacie went everywhere with Bryce. He had about 17 of them stashed in various hiding places throughout the house. If he couldn't find one, he was start calling out in a sing song voice "Paaaaa-cie", "Paaaa-cie", until he (or we, as he always inlisted a helper if it took longer than 2 minutes) found one. And if there was more than one, he had to have them all....one in his mouth, one in each hand, one or two stuck in his diaper.....they were like plastic crack - he couldn't get enough. But with a stong resolve and moral moxie, he beat the Pacie habbit.

This year has been a really great one. I will never be able to fully show my children my perpetual gratitude for the lessons they teach me daily....but maybe one day, when they are parents, they will get what I mean when I tell them I love them, and that everyday, since the day I became a Mom, is like Christmas morning. They are little gifts just waiting to be unwrapped and discovered.